Union conference steps up its campaign for workers' rights

Updated
May 17, 2012 18:30:00

SUBBED NOT POSTED KEYWORDS: BYLINE: CAPTION: In the face of what's been described as a gathering political storm, union leaders have vowed to step up their campaign for workers' rights. It was the culmination of a three day gathering in Sydney which was often side-tracked by a focus on the troubled Health Services Union.

GED KEARNEY: We can be proud of the face that the union movement has presented to Australia I think, congratulations.

SIMON CULLEN: And it was an opportunity for the ACTU president Ged Kearney, to pay tribute to the outgoing Secretary, Jeff Lawrence, who celebrated his 60th birthday today.

GED KEARNEY: What could be more appropriate for a man who has union blood flowing through his veins, celebrating his birthday at an ACTU Congress; amazing. Tragic (laughter)...no, it's special delegates, special.

SIMON CULLEN: It was a light-hearted moment, at the end of three days of debate over issues that go to the very core of the union movement.

It's been rocked by the Health Services Union scandal and many delegates have been disillusioned by the performance of its political wing, the Australian Labor Party.

It fell to the former union leader turned Federal Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten to issue a call to arms.

BILL SHORTEN: I'd like to put to you today that when the labour movement, be it political or trade union - when we choose to lead, not follow, then we have our finest accomplishments ahead of us.

SIMON CULLEN: He acknowledges that the labour movement is facing a gathering political storm because of a resurgent Opposition but he's urged union leaders to hold their nerve.

BILL SHORTEN: We have to be vigilant against those who say that the work of the union or the work of the labour cause is done. It is not the twilight, it is still the sunrise.

SIMON CULLEN: It was a theme continued by the new ACTU secretary, Dave Oliver.

DAVE OLIVER: We all know that we are facing some big challenges, but earlier generations faced tougher odds than what we do, in the early factories, in the sweatshops, the goldfields, the coal mines, the shearing sheds. Inch by inch they built up our rights.

SIMON CULLEN: Dave Oliver has already flagged a more aggressive campaign on workers' rights through a new fighting fund at ACTU headquarters. And he's urging a unity of purpose across the union movement in the face of strong opposition.

DAVE OLIVER: No matter what they throw at us, no matter what the challenge, we never have and we never will put up that white flag.

(applause)

SIMON CULLEN: However, one of the issues that has overshadowed much of what's happened at the ACTU Congress, has been the scandal that's engulfed the Health Services Union.

Senior union leaders have vowed to take tough action against anyone found to have misused members' money and union delegates have voted to set up an inquiry to look at what safeguards are in place to make sure there's no repeat of the situation.

But even so, the intense focus on the issue won't go away just yet.

The man at the centre of the allegations, Federal MP Craig Thomson, has promised to give a detailed explanation to Parliament of his version of events. He'll do that on Monday.